


baby, you put a spell on me

by aracya (lesbirb)



Series: of bewitchment and yearning [2]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Also featuring Diana "What is this feeling" and "Oh my dear friend Akko" Cavendish, As you can see I throwed all my headcanons about magic on this, F/F, Fluff, Pillow & Blanket Forts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:06:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24780538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbirb/pseuds/aracya
Summary: Diana finds herself loving magic all over again with Akko. But she eventually notices that she sorta of, totally, fell in love with the witch too.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Series: of bewitchment and yearning [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595551
Comments: 14
Kudos: 153





	baby, you put a spell on me

**Author's Note:**

> 5 months later here I am FINALLY with the second part of my diakko series! Sorry not sorry guys, but I got into RWBY and started writing like 10 different things for it (especifically for the frosen steel ship - that btw y'all should totally check out in my works <3)  
> Anyway, while the first part was about Akko realizing she likes Diana, this is about Diana realizing her own feelings for Akko! I hope you will enjoy it! Oh, and if you notice any spelling mistake, please tell me - English is not my first language so... xP

As someone from a long and powerful lineage of witches and who is also deeply invested in her studies, Diana ends up being somewhat sensible to magic. It’s a natural thing to those who devote themselves deep enough in the ways of witchcraft, really. For her, when there was some usage of magic, especially a high one, she could tell a few characterics of it - what kind of spell was used, for example. So it’s not really surprising that she finds herself gravitating towards Akko and her strange, yet charming magic. The other witch had (as Diana would eventually find out) a magic that was too raw and untamed, unlike any other that the blonde had ever encountered. 

It’s a bit hard to explain, if she was being totally honest. Everyone was aware of how emotions played a large role in one magic, but it was always about _control_ , about not letting your feelings take over your spells. A true witch should be able to keep herself in check, focused and with the right mindset, draw the magic from the nearby Sorcerer’s Stone and cast whatever she wants. Akko, to no one's surprise, ignored those traditions, always pouring _too much_ in her magic and thus having it explode on her face - literally. 

Still, there was something more to her than it met the eye. Diana had started paying attention to her when she quite loudly proclaimed her love towards Shiny Chariot (honestly? Her inner child _giggled_ at the idea of someone else who had the same feelings she had towards the performer) and when she showed to have the actual, _real_ Claimh Solais. But it was only after the Papilodia event that she truly started to keep a close eye on the japanese girl. Not like it was hard, since Akko seemed to always bring everyone’s attention to her, positive and negative alike. 

Ah, she could still remember clearly how it _felt_ , that intense sensation of pure magic like no one she had ever experienced - there isn’t another word to describe it besides _magical_ . It wasn’t surprising, to be honest, considering that one of the few things that were known about the Claimh Solais is its way of easily reacting to emotions and how it used them in combination with the magic impregnated inside the rod. It made sense then for someone like Akko to be its wielder. Only those who have a sort of _natural_ connection to magic itself could actually be able to use the wand.

However, even though Akko had surprised her with an impressive feat of magic that even Diana herself wasn’t capable of, she still had her… _Shortcomings_. She fell behind in class and insisted on some sort of rivalry between the two of them. And what was one moment of grandeur in the face of the many others where Akko showed no discipline and respect for tradition, the very foundations of magic and their culture itself?

Fine. Perhaps it wasn’t only one moment. The mess that was the broom relay was another instance of when Akko astonished her. It was… _Fun_ . She had expected no competition when participating - _maybe_ some from Amanda - but of course the japanese girl would prove her wrong. And truth be told, Diana wanted that competition, that struggle that made her push herself to her limits. Flying was always one of her favorite activities, especially when she could just go faster and _faster_ without a care in the world, so it didn’t surprise her how much she actually enjoyed the race.

However, it definitely didn't help her opinion on the girl the fact that she seemed to attract problems wherever she went. Word passed quickly on school, and Diana would always hear of some new tale and (mis)adventure that Akko had got herself into that seemed as absurd as the last one. She couldn't possibly have actually raised the dead, could she? Did… Did the Claimh Solais have that kind of power…? 

Anyway. No point in going over questions that won't have an answer (it was a forbidden path of magic, so it was better not to know anything about it). What did matter, actually, was what came after. Time, of course, went by along the school year, bringing things that Diana definitely didn’t expect. For starters, she never imagined that Akko would do such a wonderful (and funny, but Diana would never admit it) presentation at the Samhain Festival - that _definitely_ deserved the title of Moonlight Witch more than hers. 

Then, she literally ran after the heiress when she had to come back home. And, _Beatrix_ , Diana couldn’t help the soft smile that was brought to her face every time she remembered the moment she had with Akko at the secret hospital. The way the japanese girl talked (with _tears_ in her eyes!) about her dream, a _wonderful_ dream according to her, and insisted that she should pursue it… Diana had felt her heart skip several beats - especially when Akko was so close that their noses had briefly touched. 

And then, as suddenly as it felt natural, they were friends. Friends who helped each other when they were at their lowest and that started a new age of magic together, after chasing and destroying an actual missile and standing at the edge of the world, hand on hand. Normal friend stuff right? Just like it was very much normal for friends to spend time together, enjoying each other's company, admiring their friend’s red eyes and getting lost in them… 

Well… It would be a lie not to say that her friendship with Akko was… Somewhat different than any other she ever had. It’s true that she didn’t have many friendships to compare to, but she still felt like there was _something_ else between them. First of all, after the event with the missile, Diana not only could feel Akko’s magic more easily, but she could also feel her own magic reacting to the other witch’s. It was… A little weird at first, especially when she could feel her magic almost reaching, _yearning_ for the other, but she eventually got used to the sensation, as it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. 

And if that wasn’t enough, every moment she had with Akko always felt… As if it was building towards something. It was difficult to explain, but Diana felt as if there was a _thing_ waiting for them. After all, as time went by, every touch lingered a little more, and every moment between them felt shorter - even though they had been spending considerably more time together. That being said, Diana had a distinct feeling that something was missing in them so they could reach whatever they were working towards - perhaps a friendship as deep as Barbara and Hannah had. _After all, they sure were the_ closest _of friends…_

So, without knowing what was the detail missing on her relationship with Akko, and _Jennifer how frustrating it was not knowing!_ , she did what anyone should do when confronted with the unknown: she studied, analysing every single moment she had with the japanese girl, searching for anything that could give her a clue of what was lacking.

* * *

Although there were a lot of moments that definitely needed the proper attention - they had to be analysed for several reasons after all - the first one to truly stand out for her was one not too long after the “Missile Crisis”. She and Akko had started studying together on one of the secluded corners of the library more frequently, their ever growing friendship allowing for more times like those.

Not only that, but Diana was nothing if not observant, and after noticing some struggles that the other witch had when studying, she had come with some ways to deal with them. That and also Akko’s very interesting inputs on some subjects (the way she handled Numerology was _nothing_ like the books taught, but it always led to faster and simpler to understand _correct_ answers), just made it natural for them to make a habit of it. 

Now, the moment in itself was nothing too big, she supposes. Akko had, as usual, accidentally spilled some ink on her clothing. Diana then simply used a spell - that she had practiced enough to not need to say the words verbally - to collect it. The ink thus was taken from the girl’s skirt and vest, floating in a black blob until it was put back again on the bottle it belonged to. The japanese witch had looked at it with amazement, her eyes sparkling a little.

“That was so cool! Which spell did you use?”

Diana looked at her somewhat amused, wondering how even simple magic could impress her. It was kind of adorable. _Wait wha-_

“ _Atramentum Fluito_ ", Diana answered despite the confusion of where that sort of thought had come from, "although it is possible to achieve the same goal with a simple floating spell, as long as you have total focus on _only_ the ink.”  
  
“ _Atramentum Fluito_ …”, the girl murmured to herself, seemingly lost in thought. Before Diana could ask what she was thinking, she took her wand and pointed to the ink bottle, excitedly casting the spell.

Diana watched curiously (and _maybe_ a little worried of what Akko would do) as the ink floated, first a shapeless blotch with the usual green aura that came with magic around it, and then slowly changing into something that looked vaguely like a rose - the stalk/stem was very clear, alongside its leaves and thorns, but the flower itself definitely was a little more harder to understand, albeit the heiress had to admit that it was surprisingly a good job in general.

“Ta-da!”, Akko exclaimed happily, “One flower for another!”

“That’s- Wait, what?”, Diana finally tore her gaze away from the rose, looking at Akko with her eyebrows high and her ears slightly red, “What did you say?”

“One flower for another! But… I guess it doesn’t look much like one, right?”, the girl answered, oblivious to Diana embarrassment, her attention going back to the flower after a few seconds, “I didn’t think it would work anyway, so it isn't all _that_ bad though…”

Diana spent some beats staring at Akko, trying to process what she meant by that, until she decided to shrug it off as just some phrase to make the presentation of the ink flower more theatrical, as one would expect of a to-be-performer. Nothing more to take from that, right? Deciding then that Akko definitely didn’t mean anything with that (surely she wouldn’t be… _Flirting…?_ ), the blonde focused again on the ink floating, admiring it one more time. 

It truly amazed her how the other witch was capable of taking such a simple spell, that was never used for anything else besides its practical usage of cleaning, and transform it into something beautiful. And it seemed fitting, really, that it was Akko the one to do that. Unlike every other witch, who saw magic as nothing more than a tool to be shaped according to the individual needs of the caster, she saw magic for what it should be - a gift, that like the best gifts, was to be shared with others and given away.

Because magic was simply… _Amazing_ on its own. It had an almost unlimited potential, depending only on the witch's creativity, but, above it all, it had an unlimited potential _for good_. And isn’t that how Diana’s ancestors treated magic? Isn’t that how she too comprehended magic, before it became nothing more than a tool? She still used it to help people, of course, but along the way she lost touch with the core of magic itself, with that spark of wonder she always felt because of it.

But then, there in some corner of the library, Diana thought that maybe she could let herself love magic again. Although she knew, deep down, that she had been loving magic ever since Akko started astonishing her over and over again. And… Perhaps she could let herself study magic not only for the expectations she had to suffice and things she had to do, but for the sake of magic itself, _for the joy she got from it alone_. 

“Akko”, the blonde witch finally spoke, stopping her thoughts from wandering even more, “It does resemble a rose, don’t worry. And… It’s also lovely. You did a great job”

However, when Akko grinned at her, visibly pleased with the praise, Diana felt a spark of something else on her heart, something that had nothing to do with magic.

* * *

Another moment that stood out for Diana was a rainy day at Luna Nova, in a more than welcome week of recess from the school’s activities. Barbara and Hannah had gone home to visit their families, but the heiress, to no one’s surprise, chose to stay. With the chilly weather, she was ready to spend time inside her dorm, nursing a cup of tea and enjoying the company of a book. Of course, she didn’t count with the Akko factor to her plans, and was surprised to open her door to someone with several blankets on their arms - so much that they obstructed the view of their face. 

“Hey, Diana! Ready to build a blanket fort?”, the person said excitedly, already making their way inside.

“Akko? What?”, Diana asked, recognizing the voice and realizing that only her japanese friend would show up unannounced like that, “A blanket fort?”

“Yeah! I asked you… Like, three days ago if you ever did one, and you said no, so I promised you that we would do one when there was a good opportunity. And this is the perfect one! Rain? Check. Cold? Check. No classes? Check!" 

“I…”, the blond girl stopped to think if there was any way of getting out of that, but as she looked at Akko dropping the blankets on the floor and smiling at her, she knew that she didn’t have the heart to say no to her. It was a problem that was making itself very common recently, and Diana did worry that she would find her downfall on her inability to say no to Akko, “Very well. How shall we proceed?”

“ _We_ won't proceed anything. Now, _I_ will build this fort… Magically", said Akko with a tinkle in her eyes that Diana had started associating with impromptu performances of magic from the other witch. As Akko had slowly but surely regained her magic, not only had she become better at spellcraft in general but she also had shown proficiency in forms of witchcraft that surprised everyone - even the witch herself. That, of course, would lead her to do even more… Dramatic presentations, for the lack of a better word. But it simply showed Akko’s determination to truly walk on Chariot’s footsteps of being a performer. 

Wondering what the japanese witch would do, Diana watched as she spared another dazzling smile at her (and caused a beat to skip on her heart) before closing her red eyes and breathing slowly. A few seconds passed, until some of the sheets - the lighter ones, Diana noticed - started to levitate, slowly folding and moving themselves on a position that resembled a tent. 

When Akko opened her eyes again, probably to evaluate her own work, the blonde looked at her briefly, noticing the way that her eyes seemed to be shining - not like usual, with that starry-eyed look she would get, but like the red that tints them were somehow brighter, more saturated. But Diana quickly shoved that thought away, first, because she didn’t want to be caught staring (she has gotten caught lost in Akko's eyes more than enough already), and mostly because, surely, she must be seeing things, exalting some aesthetic characteristic of Akko like she had been doing lately.

"I think we are all set!", the japanese girl's voice cut through Diana's wandering thoughts, "Milady, if you may."

Rolling her eyes at Akko's try at a posh (british?) accent and her over exaggerated bow, Diana eased her way inside the called fort, laying down on the surprising comfortable blankets on the floor. She observed how it wasn’t that dark there - even when Akko turned the room's lights off - with the green glow of magic around the sheets above her serving as lighting. 

A few seconds later, Akko joined her, laying down by her left side. As Diana expected, she could see the other girl well enough, although not perfectly (a shame, truly), but she found that the proximity they had now was more than worth the low visibility. Their arms were touching, fingers brushing, and when they looked at each other, their faces were so close that - if there was more light - Diana could probably count Akko's eyelashes. But she still could very well admire the redness on her eyes, so it wasn't all that bad.

Hm. Now close, Diana could see just how _red_ her eyes looked. It was as if they… Glowed…? _“Oh! I remember now… Some authors say that if one casts magic of a high level, it’s possible to catch a glimpse of their soul, since their eyes would be glowing. After all, eyes_ are _the window of the soul… So that’s why Akko’s eyes-”_

"So… What do you think?"

The heiress, with her observation interrupted, let herself take in the situation and not simply on Akko herself. There, under the cover of the blankets above her, with nothing more than the sound of the rain outside and their soft breathing filling in the silence, Diana felt like she was in a world that belonged only to them, a sort of blanket haven. And it’s not something that she wasn’t getting used to, when she thought about it. 

Whenever she was alone with Akko, be it in some corner of the library or in parts of the gardens where few students tended to go, she always felt like this, with this weird but pleasant warmth inside herself and with a rush on her chest that left her confused, especially when the other witch would smile at her. But she had no idea what those things meant, and with so many other responsibilities and worries to take care of, she let them slip away from her mind.

But when she found herself again getting caught into Akko’s orbit, and this time so strongly - after all, they were truly away from any prying eyes and so, _so_ close -, she couldn’t fight nor ignore the warm feelings that flowed through her, the deep yearning for _something_ within her that she didn’t really understand. She tried to connect those emotions to anything, but at most they reminded her a little of when she was young and her mother was alive, before everything became _cold_ \- her bed, her house, herself.

And- Wait, she still hadn’t answered Akko, right? How long did she spend just trying to sort out the confusion of feelings inside her? 

"That you…", she stopped for a beat, trying to not make a fool of herself, but she still couldn't help the small smile taking place on her face, "Has improved so much. Not everyone is capable of wandless magic, much less so effortless, as I have told you"

When Akko visibly preened at the praise, smile blinding even in the low light, Diana knew that she made the right choice of what to say. Not like she was lying, anyway. To everyone's surprise, Akko had a natural talent for wandless magic - as she discovered after levitating a book that was out of her reach and she didn't want to stand up to get.

"Aw, thanks!", the witch looked away briefly, bashful, before looking back with excitement on her words, "But what do you think of the fort itself? It's fun, right?"

"I suppose it is. It _is_ surprisingly comfy, I have to admit."

"Of course it is! Only the best for you!"

"I-", the blonde stared at her friend with surprise and a soft blush coloring her face, wondering how Akko could just say something like _that_. Oh, there it was that rush on her chest again. “Thank you? But I know that everything you do, you do your best Akko.”

“I mean, yeah I try, but when it comes to you I have to try even harder!”, she stopped, as if noticing what she was saying, before continuing, “You are my rival after all! I have to always, uh, try to sweep you off your feet..? Wait, no! Not like that! I just have to make sure I’m always surprising you, that’s all!”

Diana watched the rambling with amusement, wondering what had gotten her into it. Akko still kept that one-sided rivalry between them, but the blonde found it more endearing that anything. And well, with how much Akko had been improving, Diana wouldn’t be surprised if _she_ started actually trying to catch up with the japanese girl ( _truth to be told, Akko was already better with handless magic than her…_ ). 

“Well…”, Diana started after Akko finally calmed down, “I repeat myself again, Akko. You always find ways to astonish me. So I don’t think you need to worry too much about surprising me”

“Oh. Good, good…”

Silence met them again, but Diana noticed the awkwardness on it. Had she said something wrong? Or maybe failed to say what was necessary? Akko was looking at the “ceiling” of their fort, apparently lost in thought, and honestly that concerned Diana a little. In the position they were, with nothing to do, it was unnatural for Akko not to take the opportunity to talk her heart out, rambling about everything and nothing. 

Perhaps she was worried that Diana wasn’t enjoying herself? Despite her endless optimism and will to push through her obstacles and apprehensions, Akko still had moments where she would doubt herself (and Diana thought of herself as extremely lucky to be someone that she would trust with this more vulnerable side). So, with this in mind, what could she do to show Akko that she was indeed enjoying the blanket fort?

“Akko.”

With the girl’s attention back on herself, Diana hesitated, still a little uncertain of what to do and even what to say - but she hadn’t time to ponder now. “Thank you. I can see now why you wanted to build a blanket fort. It’s definitely… Nice. And… Relaxing” 

“You don’t need to thank me Diana!”, Akko answered with her usual smile, which made Diana relieved, “I know you don’t get to relax as much as you need, so I knew this would be a good way to make you!”

And there Akko went surprising her again. What Diana did to deserve someone so caring? She was so used to the way everyone treated her, putting her on a pedestal and expecting her to be perfect. But Akko wasn’t like that, never expecting more from her, simply letting her be Diana and not Diana _Cavendish_. 

It was probably those thoughts, alongside the unnamed warm feelings taking roots on her heart, that made Diana suddenly kiss Akko’s cheek. It was a brief touch of her lips on the girl’s skin, soft as a feather, but when Diana pulled away she felt like she had just discovered a new form of magic. And even though she did something that people always did with their friends, the heiress couldn't help the faint blush taking over her face and the want to kiss Akko again. Akko’s _cheek_ again.

“Thank you, Akko. For everything”, how did she even find in herself the ability to speak normally was a mystery, but Diana was grateful for it - even if her voice didn’t come out as more than a whisper.

“I- Uhh…” 

More sounds came out of the brunette’s mouth, but Diana didn’t really have the chance to interpret them - Akko lost control of her magic and the blankets that were once floating fell over them. 

* * *

Jennifer, there were so many moments to think about. _So many_ . Diana was honestly a little startled by how well she remembered them. Sure, she was aware of how good her memory could be, but she didn’t expect it to be _that_ good. Yet, here she was, finding herself reliving all those occasions with a smile that she simply wasn’t capable of holding back, seeing as clearly as those days the happiness on Akko’s face at a question she got right or a spell that worked perfectly on the first try. 

But, even more surprising, was how easily she saw herself feeling as she had felt on those moments, with her heart so full of _something_ \- longing to be at Akko’s side again, warmth at the thought of her smile, of her voice. Of everything her. It was as if her heart could now only beat with one rhythm, and it was Akko, Akko, _Akko_.

Still, Diana didn’t know what those feelings meant. Even after spending minutes and more minutes thinking about it. What she did know though is that she had to release the emotions building in her heart, had to show in some way how much she appreciated having Akko in her life, how much she meant to her even if the heiress didn’t truly have the proper words for it. 

With that in mind, she spent then more time thinking - but now in how to convey what she wanted to. A gift seemed like a good idea, but that raised another hard question: what would be good enough? Of course, when it came to Akko, it didn't need to be anything fancy or expensive. It was much more adequate to be something Diana would choose with care. From the heart, you may say. But what…?

The question plagued Diana for days until she played a game with Akko's Chariot cards. While staring at the cards as she tried to come up with a strategy to win this round, she got the idea. A pretty good one, in her opinion.

Thus, after a few days of careful work, the gift was ready, delicately wrapped in a thin sheet of red colored paper, with a small white bow on top. Despite her early musings of how good her idea was, Diana still found herself anxious about what Akko would think of it. Would she enjoy it? Would she think that maybe it was too much? Would she-

"Dianaaaa!"

Oh Beatrix, she had no more time to freak out. 

"A-Akko!", and now she was _stuttering_ , how pathetic was that?, "How, uh, are you?"

"I'm fine, Diana! But… You said you had something for me?"

Akko's eyes were sparkling, visibly excited for whatever thing Diana was going to give her. It both calmed and panicked the heiress - surely Akko would like the gift, but would she _love_ it? She deserved nothing but the best, after all. 

"Yes. It's… A simple gift. A token of my appreciation for you", the girl nervously handled the wrapped object to her friend, "I… Hope you will like it."

"Oh?"

With her nerves in overdrive, Diana watched as Akko slowly - what a surprise, to be honest - opened the gift, delicately taking a card out of the red paper. It looked very much like one of Shiny Chariot's, with the back of the card with the witch’s silhouette and the same aesthetic details on it, but on its front a illustration of two witches standing on a broom in the middle of a sea of stars took the place of the magical creatures and Chariots that usually showed up on the cards.

“Oh…”, a barely whisper came out of Akko’s mouth, making Diana wonder if it was a positive or negative reaction. Her eyes, fixed on the card on her hands - the paper that wrapped it laying now in the ground -, seemed to sparkle even more (if that was possible), but her lack of a reaction worried the heiress. If she truly had liked it, she would have been jumping now with excitation right? 

“Diana…”, the name, softly said by the brunette, stopped Diana before she could lose herself into overthinking the girl’s reaction, “You… You did this?”

“Uh, yes”, the blonde looked to the ground, finding it much more interesting in the moment, “I know it may not be enough to fully represent my… Gratitude, for everything you did for me, but I hope it will be sufficient for you.”

“Not be… Enough? _Mou_ Diana! I thought nothing would ever top you giving me the premium Chariot card, but… Of course you would be able to outshine yourself!”

Then, without any warning, the heiress was tightly hugged - and without any hesitation, she hugged back. It had become so easy to do it, almost as second nature, as if she had been finding herself getting lost in Akko’s arms - in her warmth - for years now. And with her eyes closing, she felt herself sinking deeper into Akko embrace, the familiar earthly and sweet scent of the other girl somehow reminding her more of home than anything else in her life.

And, oh, she could feel Akko’s magic too. It hummed alongside her own magic, so different to how normally it was - crackling and wild, much like the sea on storm days, hitting the stones at the shore with so much strength it could tear them apart. Untamed and raw. So unlike hers, that was always grounded, always controlled, simply awaiting to be used. 

“Diana, this is _the_ best gift I have ever gotten! It’s waaaay more than enough! Really!”, the japanese girl’s voice broke through the silence, laughing then softly, “God, I love you! Thank you so much~!”

“Love you too”, Diana answered without second thought, the breath of a laugh escaping her lips as she (sadly) pulled away from Akko and stared at her. She looked so lovely with her cheeks red and a soft smile on her lips. Nines, that _smile_ … It was just as bright as it usually was - but oh, so _so_ much tender. Ah, there is a deep yearning for _something_ within her, a need to keep that smile on Akko’s face for as long as possible, but Diana can’t, again, quite understand it.

“Oh! Haha… I… Uh, I am going to show this to everyone! Yeah! Because I love...d it so much!”, Diana wondered why Akko was choosing to look everywhere but her and why even her ears were red. She didn’t have much time to dwell through - the japanese witch meeting her eyes again with a soft expression after a few seconds, “Thank you Diana. Really. After I… Show off a little, do you want to hang out…?”

“Of course!”, answered the heiress with a smile, “You know that I enjoy spending time with you Akko…”

“And I enjoy spending time with you too! But… I will see you soon then?”

“Naturally.”

As Akko waved goodbye while running back to the castle (and almost tripping on her feet and falling to the ground), Diana finally noticed what she said. She couldn’t help but freeze, looking at nothing while going over the whole interaction in her head. She said… She loved… Akko… 

Oh.

_Oh._

That… Was obvious. How didn’t she notice before? How didn’t she see how she had been falling for Akko with every step she took, every word, every smile? But… It makes sense that she failed to define the feelings that had been taking place on her heart. For as easy it is to admit them now - and it frightens her a little, to be honest - love always seemed like a concept that she could never fully grasp again after losing her mother.

It was both familiar and unfamiliar, this strange sensation tugging at her heart, filling her whole self with affection but also with a silent ache, a silent _hunger_ \- _longing_ , she recognized now. She had felt it when her mind had burned with the desire to reach out for Akko’s hand when they were studying at the library, or simply whenever they were close, maybe even with their knees and shoulders touching, but not enough. Never enough.

Diana breathed deeply, feeling again that longing taking over her heart. Akko had left barely a few minutes ago and she already missed her - she was whipped, as Amanda would probably say. Still, she would never choose not to feel this way. It could hurt sometimes, of course, as love always does when it’s unrequited ( _although the way Akko looked at her sometimes…_ ), but she was content with just having the few moments that she had with the other witch, when everything seemed to just stop, as if they created a universe where there was only the two of them, just Diana and Akko.

 _“What should I do…”_ , she thought with a sigh. What would her mother say, if she was here? If she listened to Diana talk about the girl she loved, would she tell her to confess, to “go for it”? And what would she think of Akko? _“She would like her, definitely. And… She… She would probably want me to chase after my own happiness…”_ , the blonde finished her thought with a small smile tinged with sorrow, but with her eyes shining with a new-found determination.

 _“Perhaps it_ is _time to fight for my own joy. I must… Believe in my believing heart”_ , her smile softened a little, the mere brief thought of Akko chasing away the sadness, _“And… Even if I get rejected, I’m sure I will be fine. I just need to prepare carefully, and do my best to sweep Akko off her feet”._

Coming to such a conclusion, Diana picked up the paper on the ground and walked back to the castle with a resolve in her steps, her mind already working on different ideas of what to do. She was going to win Akko’s heart with the most dazzling confession she could think of!

But part of her hoped that she already had won it, of course.

**Author's Note:**

> In the last part of this series (that will take God knows how long to be finished) we will get a confession - two actually 👀 But things don't go that easily when it involves Akko and Diana, especially when they ask for the help of their friends.


End file.
